Disruption is the key Mr. Bloomberg
This is the precipice of a new era. When a personal computer company is the most valuable in the world, when people interact with information in ever more personal and innovative ways, when the world is more akin to nodes on the social graph than countries, municipalities, or households. This is the beginning of a shift in the way that we do business, the way that we approach problems, the way we move our civilization forward.
Mayor Bloomberg clearly saw this trend, and smartly chose to try to continue to refine New York City’s relevance in this new era by bringing revolution to its doorstep. The idea is simple, make New York more like Silicon Valley. Make entrepreneurship a legitamite career, not an excuse for unemployment. Change social norms, cultural misconceptions, and the dreams of future generations to look towards innovation and disruption rather than following the old guard.
I am a technophile, a born and raised Californian from the Silicon Valley. But I am also a future New Yorker. My classmates and I, are the future of what will be the next great disruption in the way that the world works. It is disruption that drove the success of Silicon Valley, if anything the valley was the beautiful product of utter chaos. Understanding how to create an innovative hub, how to inspire people to be creative, to “Think Different”, is akin to figuring out where life came from. We look at a primordial soup of talent, of possibility, but it’s that spark at just the right moment that leads to explosion of results.
When considering who can create that spark, who can push people to go beyond what they believed was possible, it’s not about track record. Lighting never strikes the same spot twice. Passion however, is a driving force that leads to great ideas turning into real products. Passion for New York, an understanding of where this city is now and where it’s going.
Cornell is New York City. We are 50,000 innovative, revolutionary New York City thinkers. We are a group of dreamers, and we dream of a future for New York City where ideas can flourish.
New York City was built on the shoulders of thousands of upstarts and entrepreneurs. So isn’t it obvious we should trust our future in the hands of people with passion, rather than those with big pockets. Cornell believes in New York City. We just need you, Mr. Bloomberg, to let us build the future with you.
